


The little matchmakers

by Kaaaaarooooo



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: AU, Established Relationship, Everyone is adorable, F/M, Fluff, I'm Bad At Tagging, Legoland, Like i made research for describe all legoland room from michigan, Secret Relationship, but - Freeform, did i say fluff, everyone is soft, like really, sorry - Freeform, the only common things with the show are character name
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:14:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27937852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaaaaarooooo/pseuds/Kaaaaarooooo
Summary: Jane and Marcus have been best friends and inseparable since they met in a park a year ago. At the age of 7, they are going to turn into cupids and try to do everything they can to make Jane's mother and Marcus' father fall in love. What they don't know is that their parents are hiding a secret. But what secret?
Relationships: & means friendship, Beth Boland & Marcus, Beth Boland and her child, Beth Boland/Rio, Don't worry - Relationship, Friendship - Relationship, Jane Boland & Marcus, Marcus & Rio (Good Girls), Rhea & Rio (Good Girls), Rio and all Boland children
Comments: 14
Kudos: 50





	The little matchmakers

**Author's Note:**

> No beta

Jane and Marcus, two children's of 7 year olds, met about a year ago in a park, and they have been inseparable ever since. As they said themselves, they were best friends for life.

But on that day, they hadn't been the only ones to meet each other. Jane's mother, Beth Marks, recently divorced, she had taken back her maiden name, and Marcus' father, who had introduced himself as Rio, had both gotten to know each other, and for them too, despite their differences, which could and had surprised more than one person, their understanding had been immediate, and contrary to what some bad tongues might have said, it wasn't only for the good of their children.

It was a sincere friendship, at least at the beginning, because as time went by, their feelings had evolved, their friendship had turned into something more, and after 6 months, they had become a couple.

But beware, it was a mutual agreement, a secret relationship, even their family and best friends didn't know about it.

And now that they think about it, maybe they shouldn't have hidden their relationship, it would have saved their children, at least Jane and Marcus, from meddling in their private lives and making plans, to try to bring them together, but at the time they didn't know, they didn't suspect anything.

Because if there was one thing that Jane and Marcus wanted, besides being best friends in the world, it was to become brothers and sisters, and for that their parents had to fall in love.

That's how it all started.

~~~~~

5 months ago (Plan 1: The flower bouquet) :

Jane and Marcus were now inseparable since they met 7 months ago.

They were at the park, like every two's Wednesday, Marcus being at his father's every one's week, he couldn't come every week.

They sat on the ground, on the grass, far enough away from their parents, they couldn't hear them but close enough, they could watch them.

"How are we going to do this?" Jane asked, her mischievous little green eyes looked at Marcus.

"I don't know." Marcus replied, his big, innocent brown eyes looking back at her. He looked sorry.

"We have to ask for help."

"No, no one needs to know."

Jane sighed. It's true, they had promised each other that it would be a secret and that they would handle it on their own, like grown-ups, except that they weren't, and having ideas was a lot harder than they thought.

"I know." Jane turned her eyes to her mom and Rio. She could see from where she was that their lips were moving, but they didn't look at each other, their eyes scanning the park, watching them. "We could do like in the love movies that mom likes to watch."

"What are they doing?"

"Hm, it depends, but in the end they always kiss."

They both looked at each other and said at the same time. "Yuck." They laughed.

"We could send flowers to Elizabeth." Says Marcus. "Mommy is always happy when David gives her flowers."

Jane raised her hands in the air and nodded her shoulders. "But it's too expensive."

"I have a dinosaur piggy bank with coins in it."

"But how are we going to buy them, we can't go by ourselves."

"I'm going to tell Mom I want to buy flowers for... a girl, but it's going to be for Elizabeth."

"That's a good idea."

They clapped their hands, a sign of victory; they got up and went to play, as if nothing had happened.

~~~~~

Beth and Rio were on their bench in the park. They watched their children while discussing everything and nothing, but their attention was mostly focused on Jane and Marcus.

"They look so serious." Says Beth.

"Too serious." They laughed.

"What do you think they're talking about?"

"Hm. Who's stronger between a unicorn and a dinosaur."

Beth laughed. "Knowing Jane, struggling can last for hours."

"Nah. Marcus is going to let her have the last word, he's too nice."

"Are you insinuating that my daughter is bad?"

"No, she's an angel... but she's got a temper, just like her mama."

"Hey! That's a good thing."

"I didn't say the contrary." Rio stretched his arm over the top of the bench, his fingers quietly teasing Beth's hair. "See you next Saturday?"

"Yes. Will you sleep over?"

"If you're a good girl."

Beth tapped him on the shoulder. Their children came running up to them and ended their discussion.

~~~~~

1 week later (Wednesday)

Marcus and his mother, Rhea, were walking down the street, spending a quiet day between mother and son. It was an opportunity for Marcus to put their plan into action.

"Mama?"

"Yes sweetheart?"

Even if it wasn't for him Marcus had always been a shy child, so he was a little embarrassed. "I'd like to buy some flowers...For a girl."

"Oh." His mother smiled at him. "That's nice."

"Can we go today?"

"Sure, we can."

They went to a flower shop that Rhea liked. Arriving at the pretty flower store, the saleswoman approached them, asking them what they wanted.

Marcus couldn't help but blush. His mother, who must have sensed his discomfort, explained for him and like her, the florist found it adorable.

"What kind of flower do you want?" the lady asked Marcus.

Marcus took his pieces out of his pants and handed them to the florist. There must have been only ten Euros. "For all this."

He saw the two women looking at each other, biting their lips and smiling.

"All right, I'll make you a nice bouquet. Do you want to come and pick it out with me?"

Marcus nodded. What he didn't see was that the florist gave his mother back her coins.

After several minutes in the unknown, they decided on a floral assortment, not too big, but with a lot of color. Marcus thought that Elizabeth should like it, because she was wearing a lot of floral shirt.

"Do you want to put a card with a note on it?"

Marcus still blushes. "Mama, can you go for a walk?"

"Why?"

Marcus bit his lips. "Um, I don't want you to know who it's for."

"Well, I think I just got fired. Call me when you're done."

"So tell me everything." The saleswoman gave him a huge smile.

Marcus gave her the delivery address and the delivery day, late Monday afternoon. Then he added that he wanted a card but without a word just signed with a name, Rio. It wasn't his, it was his dad's nickname and that's what Elizabeth called him, but the lady didn't know that and he hoped that no one would ever find out. When he finished, he thanked her, his mother came back to him, and they went home, under his mother's curious gaze. But fortunately she knew him well, so she didn't ask him any questions.

~~~~~

(Sunday)

Rhea was in the living room with Christopher, Rio for his closest friends, and the father of her son. He came to pick him up for his week.

"Your son has a girlfriend."

Christopher frowned. "Excuse me?"

Rhea nodded. "Yes. Wednesday we went for a walk and then he told me he wanted to buy flowers for a girl."

Christopher smiled, a real smile, sincere. "It's adorable."

"Yes, he even took his savings from his piggy bank, but the florist gave it back to me."

"You know her name?"

"No, he just kicked me out of the store while he was picking out the card, and gave the delivery address to the store assistant." Christopher burst out laughing. "But don't tell him anything, he was very embarrassed, and you know how he is."

Christopher nodded. His son was very shy, and he never talked to him about this kind of subject. He was surprised, but he thought it was really cute, but a little too fast. For his own good he would wait until he was 15 years old before talking about this kind of subject. In the meantime he was 6 years old and it was time for him to pick it up and go home to his loft.

~~~~~

(Monday)

Jane was in her room, the one she shared with her older sister Emma.

It had been almost two weeks since she and Marcus had seen each other in the park and every time someone rang the doorbell, Jane hoped it was the flower delivery man, but it was never the case.

Jane played distractedly with her dolls, waiting to be called in to eat; her mother was in the kitchen preparing the meal when the doorbell rang. Jane dropped her dolls and rushed downstairs to the living room to see who had arrived. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, her mother opened the door. From where she was, she could hear the conversation.

"Elizabeth Boland?"

"It's Marks, but yes, it's me."

"Here you go." The delivery man handed a bouquet of flowers that her mother took.

"Thank you." Her mother looked surprised. "Goodbye."

Jane decided to come out of hiding. "Hey mom, your flower bouquet looks nice."

"Hey sweetie. Yes it is, it's very beautiful."

"Who's it from?" Jane asked, pretending not to know. Her mother took the little white card in her hand, and looked at it. A big smile lit up her face. "So, Mama?"

Her mother looked at her, Jane could see she was trying to hide her smile, but it was too late. "Oh uh...a friend." Before Jane could ask for anything else, her mother added. "Come on, go call your brothers and sisters, we're going to eat."

Jane nodded her head, she walked to the stairs, but before she went up the stairs, she turned around and took one last look at her mother, who was sniffing the bouquet, her smile even brighter. Jane smiled in turn, happy to see her mother like that but also because their plan was working.

~~~~~

With all her children in bed and asleep, Beth went to bed, but before turning off the light, she sent a message to Rio, to thank him for the flowers. He called her just a minute later.

"Hey." she said in a soft voice as she picked up the phone.

"Hey. What flowers?"

Beth frowned. "The bouquet you had delivered to me in the late afternoon."

"Okay." He took a break. "Elizabeth, I didn't send you anything."

"But the card had your name on it."

"Oh...Oh."

"What?" The tone of Rio worried her.

"I think I know who this is."

"Who is it?" Beth almost screamed, the suspense was killing her.

"Marcus."

"What?" Beth wanted to laugh.

"Elizabeth, I think my son has a little crush on you."

"No he doesn't."

"When I went to pick him up yesterday, Rhea told me that earlier in the week Marcus bought a bouquet of flowers for a girl. But he wouldn't say who or address it in front of his mother."

"Oh..." Beth didn't know what to say. On the one hand she was disappointed that Rio wasn't sent to her, but at the same time it was so sweet of Marcus. "But why did he put your name on it?"

"I don't think he wanted you, and everyone to know it was from him... it's messed up."

"But how did he know it would make me happy to get flowers from you?"

"He's a kid Elizabeth, he's seen his mother get flowers from her boyfriend a couple of times and every time it made her feel good and happy so..."

"Okay. And what do we do?"

"Nothing. If we talk to him about it, he might get a gunshot wound."

"All right, I'll make him a cupcake dinosaur next time he comes home, just to thank him unsuspectingly."

"The lucky guy."

"Oh, would you be jealous of your own son?"

"Um, that depends; do I get a special cupcake too?"

"Are you going to get me flowers first?"

Rio laughs on the other end of the phone. "Well done."

"See you Wednesday at the park?"

"Yeah, good night, ma."

"Good night, Rio."

That night Beth fell asleep with a smile on her face. Receiving a bouquet of flowers was always nice, but when it was from a little boy who was the son of your...boyfriend, it was even cuter.

On Wednesday, Jane and Marcus celebrated their first victory with a big ice cream cone and plotted their plan number 2.

And if Rio discreetly gave Beth a thornless red rose that same day, no one will know except the two of them.

~~~~~

4 months ago (Plan 2: Sleepover) :

Marcus was spending a lot of time at Elizabeth's house. When the weather wasn't very nice outside, instead of going to the park they would go to her house, like today.

Marcus, the 4 children Boland, Beth and Rio were all in the kitchen. They were making cupcakes, their future snacks. They were shaping the dough, Jane and Marcus looked at each other and gave each other a signal, a little nod.

"Mama?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Can Marcus and Rio stay over tonight?"

Rio answered for Beth. "Sorry, Baby J, but it's a school night."

"But-" Marcus and Jane started protesting, but Beth cut them off.

"Rio's right, we've talked about it before, never when it's a school night." Jane and Marcus sighed. Rio and Beth looked at each other and Beth added. "But Friday is the vacations, so if Rio agrees, they can come in two weeks, to eat and watch a movie. Okay?"

"Fine with me." Rio answered.

"Yeeeaaahhhhhh." All five children shouted for joy.

~~~~~

2 weeks later

It was D-Day, or rather D-Evening. Jane was waiting impatiently outside the front door while her siblings sat on the couch and Beth was putting the finishing touches on her dish when the knock on the door came.

Jane rushed to the doorknob and opened the door. She jumped into Rio's arms, who caught up her. After a brief hug, he put her down on the floor and they walked to the living room to greet everyone. The children sat down on the couch, Rio walked towards the kitchen and gave a small smile to Beth, who gave it back to him, and it expanded when he handed her a bottle of bourbon.

"For the kids?" Beth asked mischievously.

"No, for you. Unless you want to put them to sleep fast." Beth gave him a little nudge. "Mm, that smells good."

"Spaghetti dumplings."

"You spoil us."

They looked at each other intensely, but soon remembered they weren't alone.

"Let's eat." Beth screamed.

Everyone in Boland/Marks family moved to their usual seat, leaving Marcus next to Jane and Rio at the other end of the table.

"You're in Dad's old place." Said Emma. Her innocent remark gave way to an awkward silence.

"Hm, well, I'll give my place to Big K then, he's the man of the house now." Said Rio.

"Cool, does that mean I'm in charge?" Says Kenny.

"No!" Everybody yelled.

They swapped places, leaving Rio next to Beth, who thanked him silently by discreetly placing her hand on his thigh and squeezing it.

The meal went smoothly, between lively discussion, laughter and comfortable silence.

After filling up the belly, it was time to digest quietly and for that nothing better than sitting comfortably on the couch and watching a movie.

While Beth and Rio cleared the table and did the dishes, the children had the task of choosing the movie, a cartoon, without arguing and installing extra cushions and blankets.

About ten minutes later, Rio and Beth had finished wiping and putting away the dishes and the children had everything set up.

"So, what did you choose?" Beth asked them.

"Mulan." They all shouted in unison.

"Cool." Rio would never admit it out loud, but it was one of those Disney favorites. Kenny, Danny and Emma started to want to get on the couch. "Hey, you could leave the old people first."

Beth hit Rio on the arm. "I hope you're only speaking for yourself." Rio winked at her.

Jane took her mother's hand. "Mom, get in the middle."

Marcus did the same. "Yes, you too Dad."

Rio and Beth sat next to each other, in the middle of the couch. Jane and Marcus sat next to them and then invited the other three children to do the same.

"Guys, the couch is too small." Beth laughed.

"No, mom, if we hold each other really tight, it's okay." Jane replied.

Indeed, by sticking together, they all held together, for the children it was fine, but for Beth and Rio, it wasn't at all comfortable. Their thighs and shoulders were touching each other, not in fact they were crushed against each other, but in front of the children, they didn't dare to get comfortable as they usually did when they were just the two of them. Until after a while, not feeling his arm and seeing that the children were captivated by the film, Rio stretched his arm over the top of the couch, his hand landing on Beth shoulder. By habit Beth put her head on his sternum and put her arms around him. Completely unconscious, they didn't see the two little schemers, Jane and Marcus, who bent over discreetly and smiled victoriously at each other.

Once the film was over, Beth and Rio hurriedly detached themselves from each other before the children saw them, they stood up and stretched, pretending to relieve their aching bodies.

"Okay, kids, while Rio and I clean up, you're going to wash your teeth and get into your pajamas."

Kenny, Danny, and Emma rushed to the upstairs bathroom, but not Jane.

"Mom, can Marcus and Rio sleep over?"

"I'm sorry, Jane, but not tonight."

"Please?" Jane looked at her mother with her big green eyes, begging her.

Beth sighed, she was about to accept, but Rio came to her help. "You know, Baby J, Marcus and I don't have pajamas, and with my long legs I'm not sure I can fit on the couch."

Jane shrugged her shoulders. "Marcus can take one of Kenny's or Danny's old pajamas, and you can take one of Daddy's." Rio grimaced; he'd rather die than wear something that belonged to Elizabeth's ex-husband. "And then you can sleep in the bed with mama." Rio bit the inside of his cheek so he wouldn't laugh. If she knew.

"You have answers for everything." Jane gave him a mischievous smile.

"Jane, I promise, we'll set it up for another time, okay?" Jane sighed but was content with that answer, she joined her siblings upstairs.

While the children were getting ready for bed, Beth, Rio and Marcus, who had volunteered to help, tidied and cleaned the couch.

As they finished, four tornadoes ran down the stairs to say goodbye to the guests.

After a promise to repeat the event, plus one night, Rio and Marcus said goodbye to everyone. Jane and Marcus gave each other a huge hug and whispered in each other's ears, little secrets and plots inaudible to others, and then Marcus left, hand in hand with his father.

~~~~~

All her children went to bed, so did Beth. Just before getting under the covers, she received a message from Rio.

"Will you let me sleep in your bed?" She knew he was talking about their upcoming sleepover.

"Only if you're a good boy."

"Oh, you know I'm good, mama." Mm, that was true, very, very good.

"Not with the kids upstairs."

"I could sneak out in the middle of the night."

"I'd like to, but no."

"You're really gonna let me sleep on the couch, oh, that's rude, ma."

"I'm sorry, but I promise I'll make it up to you." She already had a few ideas, new underwear, and a romantic dinner that they probably wouldn't finish.

"I'm counting on it. Good night, Elizabeth."

"Good night, Rio."

Only minutes later, Beth fell asleep with a smile on her face.

~~~~~

2 weeks later, they finally organized that sleepover and even though Rio spent the first part of the night on the couch, he ended up sneaking into Beth's bed, who had protested at first, but soon settled into his arms. The next morning, Rio woke up early and went back to the couch, as if he had never moved. The children had no idea what was going on.

~~~~~

3 months ago (Plan 3 : Legoland) :

Marcus was very excited, his father had just picked him up from his mother's house for the week and he told him he had a surprise for him.

After the front door of the loft was closed, Marcus went to his room to drop off his things and returned to the living room.

"So daddy, what's my surprise?"

Rio laughed at his son's impatience. "Come on." Marcus joined his father on the sofa, which had his laptop open on his thighs. "Are you ready?"

Marcus nodded. His father turned the screen towards him and Marcus immediately recognized the logo and colors, he shouted with joy. "Legoland!" Marcus threw himself on his father to give him a hug. "When are we going?"

"Saturday, all day long and just the two of us."

"Yeeeaaah." Marcus loved going out with his dad, but at the same time, it gave him a new idea.

~~~~~

Wednesday

Jane and Marcus were playing in the park until they decided to take a break and sit in a corner to talk.

"I'm going to "Legoland" with Daddy on Saturday." Says Marcus.

"Oh, that sounds cool."

"Yeah, I can't wait. Why don't we all go together? Like a family."

Jane's eyes sparkled with joy at the thought. "Yeeeees. Let's go ask mom and Rio."

They got up and walked towards their parents, putting on their most beautiful angel faces to coax them.

"Hey daddy!"

"Hey pop."

"Did you tell Elizabeth we're going to "Legoland" on Saturday?"

Beth laughs, he was so adorable. "Yes, he told me."

"Can they come with us, Daddy?"

"Who?"

Marcus looked up at the sky as if it was obvious." Well, Elizabeth, Jane, Kenny, Emma and Danny."

"I don't know, pop, if they-"

But Beth cut him off. "No, no, no. Marcus, that's sweet, but you two will have more fun. Besides, the kids are at their dad's on weekends."

"But, Mom, when there's a special occasion we're allowed to be with you, and "Legoland" is a special occasion."

Rio let out a laugh. Jane always had very good arguments, she was really smart. "I don't mind. It's up to you, Elizabeth."

Beth yielded. "Okay."

"Yeeeees, thanks." Jane and Marcus clapped their hands and left to tell the other three children.

"I'm sorry." Beth turned to Rio and looked at him, embarrassed.

Rio frowned. "Why?"

"You were supposed to spend the day with your son and now you're going to be stuck with me and the kids."

Rio turned completely to Beth. "Ma, if I minded I would have said so, and I love spending time with you and the kids, it's not a chore. Then with Marcus we can just go back and do it again some other time."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Beth gave him a little smile. Rio looked around the park to see if anyone was watching, especially the kids, but they were all busy, so he took advantage and dropped a quick but tender kiss on her soft lips.

~~~~~

Saturday

Since Legoland was 35 miles from where Beth lived, and the trip took about 45 minutes, they decided to have their lunch at home each and then meet up at her place right afterwards.

They had also decided to take Beth's "mamavan" as Rio liked to call it, and even though he make fun of it, he had to admit that in this kind of situation it was very convenient.

~~~~~

After a long trip filled with Disney songs and false notes, the pleasure, or not, of having 5 children in a car, they had finally arrived at "Legoland".

They parked in the parking lot, free of charge, and went to the entrance to buy their ticket.

Beth started to rummage through her purse to find her wallet but Rio stopped her.

"Don't even think about it."

"But-"

"Let me invite you, it's my pleasure."

"Thank you."

Once the entrance was paid for, they entered the large building which was divided into 12 parts, like a circuit to be covered, which was very convenient, that way there wouldn't be any dispute about where to go first and they couldn't get lost.

"Okay, before we start, let's set up some rules." Says Rio. The children sighed but nodded. "First of all, we're not running around."

"Second, we obeyed." Beth continued.

"Third, we don't abuse the attractions, if there are any, it's once each one and then we see."

"Lately, we don't complain, we're here to have fun."

"Ok!" Said all the children at the same time.

The first room is called "kingdom quest", it wasn't really related to Lego, but it allowed to start the tour quietly. There was an old arcade terminal, the one where you have to shoot the enemies with a virtual gun to save the princess.

They all played a game, and they all managed to save the princess, for Jane with the help of Rio.

They entered the second room "mini land". In this one there wasn't much to do, just watch and admire. There were the most important buildings and constructions in Detroit, reproduced in Lego. The most impressive was when the light in the hall went out, leaving the constructions place all illuminated.

"Wow." Said Beth, impressed.

"Yeah, I'm not a fan of Lego, but I have to admit it's very well done."

"Dad, look at the plane, I wish I had one of these."

"Hey, it's nice. There's a store at the end, we'll see if there's the same model. Or we'll buy Lego to make your own plane."

"So cool."

"Mommy, look at all the little characters in the stadium." Says Denny.

"I'm gonna see if any of them look like us." Says Emma.

"Maybe there's Rio." Says Jane, laughing.

"I'll see if anyone has a tattoo." Says Kenny. "No, there isn't, and no one looks like us."

"That's okay. Shall we move on to the next room?" Beth asked. Everyone nodded.

The third room was called "Merlin's Apprentice Ride". The goal was to sit in pairs and pedal as fast as possible to get the seats up. Marcus and Jane were too small and needed help.

"I don't think your mom can help you with her little legs." Said Rio, sneering.

"Hey! You'll see."

Beth went up with Jane, Rio with Marcus and Danny and Emma both. Kenny didn't want to participate so he waited for them downstairs.

The contest started and Rio and Marcus reached the top first. "I will get my revenge." Said Beth, disappointed to have lost.

"In your dreams, ma."

They let the platforms go down and entered the next room, the fourth "Duplo Farm". Thanks to very big Lego, they could build whatever they wanted. There was also a house with a slide. Jane and Marcus rushed there, while the other 3 started to assemble the squares.

Rio saw that Emma was struggling at a certain height. "Hey, little E, need some help?"

Emma nodded. "Can you carry me on your shoulders?"

"Yep." Rio squatted down and Emma sat on his shoulders, Rio held her legs tight so she wouldn't fall down and together they built a big, high wall the color of the building, red and yellow.

Kenny, Danny and Beth, had reproduced the house in smaller size and without windows. Being satisfied with their creation, they moved on to the next room.

The fifth room, "Lego Friends", was a room with life-size Lego figures, of course. There was a girl's side and a boy's side. Here they could build anything they wanted with normal size Lego, so very small. But for them this visit was transformed into a photo studio. Beth and Rio had taken pictures of the children in front of the different figures and other constructions.

They went quickly to room number 6 "Lego Racer". Here the goal was to build small cars and test them on ramps; there was also a virtual reality game.

Kenny and Danny decided to do the virtual game while the others built their vehicles.

"Rio, I want to make a car for you. What color do you want?" Said Jane.

"That's sweet baby J. Hm, red." Jane nodded and set to work.

"Elizabeth, I'm going to make you a blue car." Said Marcus.

Emma blew. "Bootlickers."

Beth and Rio couldn't help but laugh, she wasn't wrong.

"And what color do you want, honey?" Beth asked her daughter.

Emma shrugged. "I don't know."

"You could make it red and blue." Rio advised her.

Emma looked at him and shook her head. "No." She walked away from them to look for her coins.

Rio put his hand on her heart and pouted. "Ouch. As hard as her mother."

Beth sneered. "Emma's the one who looks the most like me."

"Yeah, I've noticed. I'll go see what the boys are up to; you call us when they test drive the cars."

Beth nodded and went to help the children.

After about ten minutes, Beth picked up Rio, Kenny and Danny. All together they watched Jane and Marcus drive their cars over two glued ramps and into a bin. Then Emma, who had finally chosen purple, Rio felt as it were that he had somehow won, slid her down a smaller road, all successfully.

Happy with their small victories they entered room number 7 "underwater quest". It was a pretty room decorated under the theme of water. This room consisted of solving quests with the help of tablets, at 7 it was going very fast.

The next room, the eighth "Cinema Logo 4d", Rio thought that he would finally be able to take a break and sit down.

The children sat in the front row, and since they were the only ones in the room, Beth and Rio sat in the back.

"Ah, I'm going to be able to take a little nap." Said Rio, stretching out.

Beth sneered. "That's not the point."

"Hm, but I don't feel like watching."

"To be honest, neither do I."

"Then don't."

They were in the dark and the kids had their eyes glued to the screen in front of them, so Beth let herself go. She put her head on Rio's shoulder, and Rio put his arm around her and kissed her hair lightly.

Beth sighed with happiness; she had never felt better than in his arms, she could stay there for an eternity. She lifted her head and kissed his shaved chin, he turned his head and she put her lips on his in a soft kiss.

"I'm not complaining, but what was it for?"

"Because I wanted to and also to thank you for today."

"I love spending time with you and the kids."

"Me too." Beth gave him a smile that he returned with a kiss.

They hugged for a few more minutes and then the movie ended, so it was time to move on to the theater number 9.

They were really lucky, because this "City play zone" was made for children, the parents just had to sit on benches and watch them.

That's what Rio and Beth did. While the children were playing and having fun, they put them down and sometimes filmed them.

They stayed for about half an hour before saying goodbye to the theater and moving on to the tenth "Lego movie area".

This was the last room of activity. It consisted of taking a picture of oneself doing one's constructions and then making a mini film of it. They had taken only one tablet to make one film all together, which gave a weird but funny result, with a plane, a robot, a unicorn, a house, a dinosaur, an alien and a flower.

Since this was the last room where they could build and play, it was the one where they spent the most time, about an hour.

Then they went to the café, to eat, and it was good because it was snack time, except that they had a real meal. So as not to argue, they decided to have the family menu, with everything included, hot dogs, pizza, nachos, drinks and desserts.

They took their time to enjoy their meal and digest, and then headed to the last but not least room.

"The Lego store" where you could buy Lego, of course, one by one, or larger boxes, key rings, small stuffed animals etc...

Rio chose with Marcus, the parts necessary to build his own plane, like the one he had seen earlier.

Beth took care of buying one key ring per person as a souvenir, she even took one for Annie and Ruby, and then she bought boxes of Lego.

Once their purchases were paid for, they were at the entrance of the building.

"Hey, we didn't take a souvenir photo." Said Jane, pouting.

"Yes, Jane, Rio and I took pictures of you." Beth replied.

"But not all together." That's right, they hadn't, and Beth had to admit that she would like a souvenir photo. "Wait, let's ask someone."

Beth tried to stop her daughter, but it was too late, she had gone to find a woman. Rio lent her his phone, which had better picture quality.

They stood in front of the "Legoland" logo and the red and yellow wall, and posed. Rio and Beth in the back and the children in front of them.

Rio put his arm around Beth, who let herself do it, she even leaned over him, and the children did the same.

After several shots, they thanked the young woman and went to the car to go home.

~~~~~

A few days later, if we looked closely at the refrigerators in Rio and Beth, we could see the photo of "Legoland", the one where they looked like a beautiful family.

And if Jane and Marcus smiled up to their ears when they realized that both their parents had put the picture on their respective refrigerators, it was because they knew their plan was working.

And if Rio and Beth smiled every time they looked at the picture, it was because they couldn't help themselves.

~~~~~

2 months ago (Plan 4: Improvised nap) :

Beth woke up that morning with a horrible headache and tired as if she hadn't slept. She took her temperature and had a fever of 38.5°. All she wanted to do was go back to bed. Except it was Wednesday and she had to take care of her children.

She had called her ex-husband to pick them up exceptionally, except that he was on vacation until Friday afternoon with his girlfriend. Beth didn't want to bother her sister or her best friend, so she took it upon herself.

Luckily her children were old enough not to need her attention all the time, she just needed to make their breakfast and then they went to their room to play.

By mid-afternoon, she had decided to lie on the couch to be quiet, except that as soon as she put her head on one of the cushions, she fell asleep, or fainted, she would never know, without realizing it.

~~~~~

Jane was tired of playing with dolls in her room; she wanted to go watch TV in the living room, so she went down the stairs and found her mother asleep on the couch. It was really weird; her mother never took a nap in the middle of the afternoon even though she was sick.

Jane gently approached her mother and called out to her. "Mama." But all she got was silence in response, even though her mother was a light sleeper.

She did it again, this time touching her shoulder, but her mother didn't move an inch. Jane began to cry and ran to her brothers' room.

"Kenny! Mama isn't moving." Jane said sniffling.

"What?"

"Mama, she's lying on the couch and she won't wake up."

Kenny and Danny looked at each other, not quite sure what to do. They told Jane to go to her room with Emma, while they went downstairs to see their mother, seeing that Jane was right.

"Go join Emma and Jane, I'm going to call Daddy." Said Kenny. Danny nodded.

Kenny didn't need to look for his mother's phone; it was on the coffee table in the living room. He found his father in the contacts, who picked it up after five rings. Kenny explained the situation to him, his father reassured him that his mother was just sick and needed to rest, but he couldn't come home because he was on vacation, far away from here. Kenny hung up and joined his siblings upstairs.

"Mom is just sick, she needs to rest." Said Kenny.

"What about Daddy?" Emma asked.

"He can't come home early."

Danny sighed. "We can't stay here by ourselves."

"I'll call aunt Annie or aunt Ruby." Said Kenny.

"I want Rio." Said Jane, wiping her tears with her dubby.

"Jane-" Kenny started, but Jane cut him off.

"No, I want Rio, and we can't leave Mama like this. Somebody's got to take care of us and her."

"She's right, Kenny. What do we do if mom doesn't wake up? What are we gonna do about food?" Said Danny.

Kenny nodded. This time he called Rio, who answered after two rings.

"Hey." He sounded happy that his mother called him, except it wasn't her.

"Rio, it's Kenny."

"What's up? What's going on? Is everyone okay?" Rio sounded really worried.

"Uh... yeah, actually, mom's sick, she's sleeping on the couch and she won't wake up. And there's Jane crying and asking for you."

He heard Rio blowing at the other end of the line. "Have you tried calling your father or any of your aunts?"

"Dad isn't here and he can't come. And no, I'll call them."

"No, it's okay Kenny, I'll be there in 20 minutes. In the meantime, don't go outside, even in the backyard, and don't touch anything dangerous, okay?"

"Okay, thanks." Kenny hung up. "He's on his way over."

~~~~~

Rio arrived at Elizabeth's house 20 minutes later, as promised. On the way he had bought chicken noodle soup with extra chicken.

Rio moved around the house as if it were his own, at the same time he was getting to know it well.

He put his things and those of Marcus, it was his week, on the coat rack and near the door, and then he put the soup in the fridge. He walked to the living room and saw Elizabeth lying on the couch. He put his hand on her warm forehead. He sighed softly and walked up the stairs to find the children who were in Kenny's room waiting for him.

"Hey kids!"

"Rio!" Jane screamed out in tears and threw herself into the arms of Rio who caught up her and stroked her back to calm her down.

"Is mama gonna be okay?" Emma asked in a small voice.

"Oh, little E, of course she is, she just has a fever, it will pass. Just let her rest and don't make any noise."

"Who's going to make us some food?" Danny asked.

Rio laughed in spite of himself. "All you really think about is your stomach. I'll take care of it. In fact, we're all going to do it. We'll clean up the house and make dinner, so when mama wakes up, she won't have to do anything and then she'll be happy and proud of you."

"Where do we start?" Asked Jane who had calmed down.

Rio put her down on the floor. "You guys go clean your rooms while Marcus and I do the laundry."

The children nodded and immediately set to work.

"Daddy, can I help them?" Marcus asked.

"Would you rather?" Marcus nodded. "Okay, be kind." Rio tousled his hair.

Rio picked up everyone's dirty laundry and went to the laundry room. He put it in the washing machine with an anti-bleach wipe, detergent, fabric softener, and turned the machine on.

While waiting for the end of the cycle, he took the broom, the mop and a packet of wipes. He went back upstairs to see the children who were putting away their last toys.

"Hey, that's good work. Now you're going to clean the surfaces of your bedrooms, living room and kitchen, while I'm going to sweep and mop."

"Yes, boss." Says Emma.

"I like it, take an example from her guys." Said Rio, giggling.

The other children rolled their eyes, but did so. The house was still big and they took their time, it took them more than an hour to finish, in the kitchen.

Rio looked at his watch, it was snack time. The children washed their hands and took their snack. Rio put away the broom, the mop and the wipes. He transferred the wet laundry to the dryer and started the cycle.

He returned to the living room and decided that Elizabeth would be more comfortable in bed, which he went to prepare. He came back to get Elizabeth. He put one hand under her knees and the other hand on her lower back and gently lifted her up so as not to wake her up, carried her to his bed, where he put her down, pulled the blankets up to her shoulders. He couldn't help but let his lips slide over her still warm forehead. He fetched a glove from the bathroom, put it under cold water and put it on her forehead. Elizabeth moaned but didn't wake up.

Rio went back to the kitchen, and saw that the children had finished their snacks; they had even tidied and cleaned up. Now they were sitting on the couch and chatting happily.

"Hey little ones, you did a good job. Now we deserve a break." Said Rio as he sat down with them.

"Rio, can we take a nap with mama?" Asked Jane.

"Baby J, we can't bother your mama."

"But when we're sick mama always comes to hug us and sleep with us. I want to do the same."

"Yes, so do I." Said Emma.

Rio sighed but gave in. "Okay, but slowly, don't wake her up and don't forget to take off your slippers." The girls got up, followed by their brothers. "You too?"

Kenny shrugged. "Mom has a big bed."

"I just want to sleep." Said Danny.

Rio laughed. All that child could think about was eating and sleeping.

Jane took Marcus and Rio's hands in hers. "Come with us."

Rio shook his head. "No, no, no, we can't do that."

"But we're just going to sleep, it's okay."

"Marcus and I will sleep on the couch."

"Please, I know Mama won't mind." Jane looked at him begging, she knew he couldn't resist it.

"Okay, but I'm going to go up against your mother." Jane nodded and smiled.

They all walked towards Elizabeth's room, almost on tiptoe. They took off their slippers and shoes, and then one by one they climbed into bed and lay down.

Rio didn't really know how, but like the rest of the children he fell asleep very quickly.

~~~~~

Beth woke up; she slowly opened her eyes and blinked several times when she realized that she wasn't in the living room, on the couch, where she had fallen asleep, but in her bedroom, in her bed. She frowned, wondering how she got there, but she frowned thinking about her children. How long she had slept, how the little ones were doing, who had taken care of them. She reached for her alarm clock and opened her eyes when she saw that it was six o'clock. How could this be possible?

Beth was about to get up despite her still-present headache, but she heard snoring. She turned her head and smiled. Her children were next to her, all asleep. Her smile grew bigger when she saw Marcus and Rio at the other end of the bed. So he was the one who had taken care of everything.

Beth got out from under the blankets and stood up; the glove on her forehead fell off. She went into the bathroom to freshen up and put the glove in the sink, took a pill, and went into the kitchen to make some food.

Normally Beth would have woken everyone up for fear that they wouldn't sleep that night, but she had been so touched to see her children with her as she did when they were sick that she let them sleep.

~~~~~

Rio woke up with a yawn. He rubbed his eyes and opened them, looking to his left to see all the children still asleep, except that someone was missing, Elizabeth. Rio got up to go looking for her. He started in the bathroom, which was empty. He went out of the room and saw her immediately behind the stove. He sighed, even in a hospital bed; this woman would always manage to find something to do.

Rio approached Elizabeth at wolf's pace. He stood behind her and put his arms around her waist, startled her, and put a kiss on her temple.

"Hey there." Rio whispered in her ear. "What are you doing?"

"Hey. I'm making dinner for tonight."

Rio rolled his eyes and sighed. "You're sick Elizabeth, can't you just sit down and let me do it, or order some food?"

Beth turned off the stove and turned to Rio, who leaned over to kiss her, but she backed away. "You're going to be sick."

"I don't give a shit."

Rio leaned over again, and this time Beth joined him halfway. They kissed tenderly until they parted because of the lack of air.

"Thank you for coming and taking care of the children."

"Hm, my pleasure and then I didn't really take care of them, we cleaned up."

Beth laughs. "Really?" Rio nodded. "That's why it's so clean. They didn't mind?"

"Not once."

"Wow, I'm gonna hire you to babysit."

Beth wrapped her arms around Rio's neck and put a little kiss on his lips.

"Why didn't you call me, or your sister, or Ruby?"

"I didn't want to bother anyone."

Rio blew. "Ma, asking for help is not a weakness, it doesn't take away your independence."

"I know."

"I want you to call me if you need it, like today. And it's my pleasure to take care of you and the kids. I want to be a part of yours life."

"I want you to be in our life, always."

"That's good, because I don't intend to leave. As long as you want me, you're gonna have to put up with me, with Marcus."

Beth blinked, trying unsuccessfully to hold back her tears. Rio wiped them off with his thumbs and kissed her eyelids.

They hadn't said I love you yet, so this kind of statement was their way of saying it, without really doing it.

"Okay, now you stop everything you were doing. I bought you chicken noodle soup with extra chicken and I'm going to order pizza for the kids and me. You're going to sit on the couch and let yourself be pampered, and if you're good I'll run you a nice bath later."

Beth stroked the back of his neck and tiptoed. "Thank you." She kissed him passionately, parting reluctantly when they heard a noise coming from the room.

The children ran into the living room. Jane and Marcus looked at each other with a huge smile on their faces. Rio had his hands on Elizabeth's hips and she had one hand on his cheek, they were very intimate and affectionate gestures, and this time they had almost nothing to do with it.

~~~~~

1 month earlier (Plan 5 : Marcus' birthday) :

Marcus was at his mother's; his father was also there to pick him up for the week. They were discussing his birthday that he was going to celebrate this Saturday at his _abuela's_ house.

"Did you hand out all your invitations?" Asked his mother.

"No, Jane's missing, but I'll give it to her on Wednesday."

"I can't wait to meet the famous Jane."

"Dad, will Elizabeth be able to stay?"

"If she wants to."

"Can she bring her cupcakes too?"

"I don't know, Pop, there's going to be a lot of cake, it's going to be too much and maybe she won't have time."

"But they're the best."

"That's true, but don't say that in front of _abuela_."

Marcus laughs. "Okay."

"I'm going to end up being jealous of this Elizabeth." Says Rhea laughing.

"No mom, you'll always be my mom and my favorite woman."

"Aw, thank you sweetheart."

~~~~~

Wednesday

"Jane, Elizabeth." Marcus screams as soon as he gets out of the car.

"Hey, easy pop."

Marcus ran to the bench, handed Jane the invitation card. Rio sat down next to Elizabeth.

"Sorry, I can't hold him anymore."

"I can see that." Beth said with a giggle.

"Mom, look, Marcus is inviting me to his birthday party on Saturday." Jane handed the card to her mother.

It was this Saturday at 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.

"I'll pick you up at your dad's at 2:30 p.m., drop you off and pick you up at 6:00 p.m.." Says Beth. Jane nodded.

"Elizabeth, I wish you could stay too." Said Marcus.

"Oh, are you sure?" Marcus nodded enthusiastically. Beth looked at Rio, who smiled and nodded. "All right. What do you want for your birthday?"

"Your cupcakes." Marcus said innocently.

Beth laughed. "I'll see what I can do, and as a gift?"

"A book on dinosaurs, please."

"Duly noted."

Satisfied, Jane and Marcus left to play.

"You don't have to do the cupcakes, especially since there's gonna be a lot of us."

"Oh, in one night I made 300 gluten-free and nut-free cupcakes for a PTA event, so nothing scares me anymore and I'm happy about doing it."

"Hm, my boss bitch."

Beth slapped him gently on the cheek. "Where's that happen?"

"At my mom's, she has a house with a garden, it's easier. Do you mind?"

"No, I don't mind at all."

"Cool, I'll send you the address the same day."

~~~~~

Saturday

Beth arrived at the address sent by Rio that morning. She parked in front of a large and pretty white and blue house. She turned off the ignition and got out of the car, followed by Jane, who had Marcus' gift in her hands. Beth took a large cardboard box filled with cupcakes from the trunk of her car and the two of them walked to the front door. Beth managed to balance the box in her arms so she could ring the bell. Rio opened the door.

"Hey ladies, come on in." Beth and Jane followed Rio into the hallway; he took the cupcake box and got rid of their stuff. He showed Jane the gift-wrapped box. "Is that for me?"

"No, it's for Marcus."

"And I don't have a present?"

"It's your birthday?" Rio shook his head. "Well, no then."

"Little monster." Jane stuck out her tongue. "Okay, follow me."

Jane walked past him as if she owned the place and was giving him a tour. When Beth got down to his level she whispered to him. "If you're free tomorrow night, and you're nice, you might get a gift."

"Hm, naughty girl." Rio grabbed her ass.

They arrived in the living room, where four women were sitting and talking. Beth recognized them immediately; Rio had shown her pictures of them on his cell phone.

"Elizabeth, Baby J, this is Mariana my mother, Gabriela my big sister, Eleanor my little sister and Rhea, Marcus' mother."

"Nice to meet you, and it's just Beth."

"Hello." Says Jane shyly.

"Ah, Beth, Jane, it's so nice to finally meet you." Says Mariana. Rio clears his throat loudly. "Marcus won't stop talking about you." She turned to Jane. "You're so beautiful."

"Thank you, you too."

"Aw, and polite too, you're adorable. You can meet Marcus in the backyard if you want, we'll have a little chat with your mom." Jane nodded and ran into the garden shouting Marcus' name. "Do you have any other little angels like her?"

"I have three other children, older, a daughter Emma, who's 8, and two boys, Danny, 10, and Kenny, 12."

"Wow." Says Eleanor. "You're taking care of them on your own?"

"I have them on weekdays and their dad on weekends."

"Are you single?" Asked Gabriela.

Rio rolled his eyes and reprimanded her. "Gab."

"What, I'm just asking. How did you meet my brother?"

"At the park."

Rhea sensing Beth's discomfort with all these questions, tried to change the subject. "What's in that box?"

"Cupcakes. Marcus asked me to make some; I hope there's enough for everyone."

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Rio answered her.

"Are they better than mine?" Mariana asked, laughing.

"Sorry ma, but yes."

"Traitor."

"Don't worry, about everything else, you're the best." Rio took her mother in his arms and kissed her on the temple.

Beth was happy to see Rio interact like that with his family, she felt privileged, but at the same time, not really in her place.

"Are you sure you don't mind if I stay?" Beth asked, unsure and a little intimidated.

"No, of course not, quite the opposite. And you can come back whenever you want, alone too, with Christopher." Answered Mariana. Beth gave her a sincere smile. 

"Well, now that everyone is here, it's time for Marcus to blow out the candles. Chris and I will make the cake." Said Rhea.

Beth followed the other three women outside, joined her daughter and sat down at the table waiting for the cake.

~~~~~

Rio and Rhea installed and lit the candles on their sons' cake.

"Are we going to see her again?" Rhea asked, she took advantage of the fact that they were alone to try to get him to talk.

"Why are you asking me this?"

"Chris, not to me."

Rio sighed. "Okay, yes we're together, but apart from my mother and now you, nobody knows."

"Why?"

"I don't know. At first we were okay with it, we didn't want to rush things, especially with the kids."

"And now?"

"I'd like it to become official that we're not hiding anymore. So to answer your question, yes, you will see her again."

Rhea smiled. "I'm happy for you."

Rio gave her back her smile. "Thank you."

Rhea carried the cake in the shape of a robot. They went out the French window and everyone started singing Happy Birthday in Spanish. Marcus blew out his candles, they ate cake and Marcus opened his presents, which were many, the advantage of having a big family.

Once the garbage was thrown away and the table cleaned, Rio joined Elizabeth, who was alone on a chair. She watched Jane play with the other children.

"Hey!"

"Hey, is Marcus happy with his presents?"

"Yes, he is, and the guests loved your cupcakes."

"I know, a lot of people came up to me and complimented me and asked me for the recipe." Beth threw a lock of hair behind her, like a boss.

"Damn ma, your head won't be walking through doors anymore." Beth laughed. "So, what's my surprise for tomorrow night?"

"If I tell you, it won't be a surprise."

Rio growled. "A little hint then."

"No."

Rio ran his fingers along her ribs, making her squirm, Beth was ticklish.

Suddenly Jane and Marcus ran towards them.

"Mama, Rio, come dance."

Indeed, Beth hadn't paid attention, but music was playing all over the garden.

"I don't know how to dance, honey."

"Daddy will teach you. He's a good dancer."

"Thank you, pop, I am."

"Who's got a big head now?" Beth elbowed him in the ribs, making him laugh.

"Please, Elizabeth." Said Marcus. He looked at her with those big, puppy-dog eyes.

"All right, but you two dance too."

Marcus and Jane nodded their heads and walked into the middle of the garden that had become an improvised dance floor and started moving their little butts.

Beth laughed. "They're adorable."

Rio nodded and stood up. He stood in front of Beth and held out one of his hands to her, leaning slightly. "Miss?"

Beth bit her lip and shook her head so she wouldn't laugh. She put her little hand in his and they joined their children.

~~~~~

"Wow." Said Eleanor, who watched her brother dance with this woman, Beth."

Gabriela followed her sister's gaze and smiled. "He looks happy."

"In love, you mean."

They looked at their brother, who had a huge smile carved into his face.

"We can finally have a sister-in-law."

"I hope so, she looks nice."

"Who looks nice?" asked their mother, who had joined them.

"Elizabeth." Said Gabriela, imitating her brother's voice, which made the other two women laugh.

"Do you think they are together?"

Mariana watched her son dance with Beth. Even if he hadn't told her about them, she would have guessed the nature of their relationship. The way they looked at each other, their smiles, their body language, it was obvious, but she promised to keep it a secret. "I don't know, we'll see."

"We'll see what?" the two girls replied at the same time.

"Whether we'll see her again or not."

"Hm. I bet you they're already together."

"I'll bet they are. Mama?"

Mariana looked up at the sky and smiled. "I think you should leave your brother alone."

~~~~~

Beth and Rio were moving to the rhythm of Spanish music, when someone changed the sound to make way for slower music.

Rio growled. "Who puts a slow song on a 7 year old child's birthday? I want a name."

Beth laughed. "It's weird, that's true."

"Mama?" Beth turned to Jane. "How do we dance a…"

"A slow." Jane nodded. "Uh... it's hard to explain."

"Can you show us?" Asked Marcus.

"Okay, we'll show you the version you can dance to." Said Rio. He took both of Elizabeth's hands and placed them on his shoulders, put his on her waist and left a small distance between their bodies. "There you go, and you swing gently from right to left." Marcus and Jane imitated the position of their parents. "Good, you keep that distance well. Lesson over, you may go."

Jane and Marcus moved away from them, but Rio kept an eye on them, making sure they kept a certain distance.

"A real daddy hen, and so, he'll be allowed to have his first kiss at what age?" Beth asked, mockingly.

"Twenty-one if he's wise, otherwise I'd raise it." Beth laughed. "We're not children, though." Rio brought their bodies together and put his hands behind her back; Beth let herself go and wrapped her arms around his neck. Rio ran her face through her hair and whispered to her. "You can't imagine how much I've wanted to kiss you since I opened the door."

"Me too." It was true." But not yet."

"I know." Rio moved his face back, but the rest of their limb didn't move an inch.

"Soon."

"Yeah?" Beth nodded and smiled. "Cool."

~~~~~

Marcus and Jane were dancing while watching their parent.

"I'm out of ideas." Said Jane.

"Neither do I. What are we gonna do about it?"

"Nothing. Wait and see."

They sighed. They were really hoping that their whole plan would work and that their parent was or would fall in love so that they could all live together and be one big family.

~~~~~

Today : The revelation :

Beth was in the kitchen preparing dinner for the evening when Jane appeared behind her.

"Mom, how do you know if you're in love?"

Oh, Beth wasn't ready to have that conversation, at least not with her 6-year-old daughter. She turned to Jane and tried to drown the fish. "You know, honey, there are many kinds of love, familial, fraternal, friendly and romantic." Jane looked at her with a blink, Beth sighed. "It's about Marcus?"

"No, I love Marcus, but he's my best friend." Beth held a laugh, Jane knew what she wanted. "Mom, are you in love?"

Ah, there it was a chance to stop hiding and tell the truth, she was ready and so was Rio. "Would you mind if I was?"

Jane shrugged. "Hm, that would depend on who."

This candor surprised her. "Would you like it to be someone in particular?"

Jane nodded shyly, and then she lowered her head and bit her lip. "Mom, there's something I have to tell you."

Beth crouched down, so she could keep up with Jane. "What, sweetie?"

"Marcus and I have been trying to make you and Rio fall in love."

Oh, Beth didn't know what to say, on one hand she was happy it was Rio, but on the other hand she felt guilty. "Are you angry?" asked Jane in a very small voice.

Beth took her daughter in her arms and gave her a hug. "No honey, of course not, and I have something to tell you too, actually Rio and I have something to tell you, so I'm going to call him so they can come over and the four of us can talk, okay?" Jane nodded.

Beth took her phone and sent a message to Rio, asking him to come with Marcus, but she didn't give him any more details. Rio told her that he was leaving home.

~~~~~

About twenty minutes later, there was a knock on the door, when Beth opened it she saw Marcus and Rio without surprise. Jane was sitting on the couch and Beth asked Marcus to join her. Rio stood next to her.

"What's going on?" Asked Rio, confused by the situation.

No one answered him, but Marcus turned to Jane who had just whispered something to him. "Did you tell her?" Jane nodded. "But we promised not to say anything."

"I know, but Mommy's in love."

"Oh."

"Can someone explain it to me?" Asked Rio, again.

Beth answered. "Marcus and Jane conspired to make you and me fall in love."

"Have they?" Rio giggled. Beth nodded and smiled. "How long has it been going on?"

"Five months." Jane and Marcus answered in chorus.

"And what have you been doing?"

"We sent Elizabeth a bouquet of flowers from you." Oh, so that was it.

"And we did the movie night, Legoland, the dance at Marcus' birthday party."

"The nap part wasn't us."

Beth and Rio looked at their children tenderly.

"You planned it all, didn't you?" Said Rio, he was almost proud.

"Yes, but it was all for nothing." Said Jane, disappointed.

"That's true, sweetie, but... it's because Rio and I were already in love."

Marcus and Jane looked up so quickly that Beth thought they were going to break away.

"Is that true?" Marcus asked hopefully.

"Yes pop, it's true."

"But why didn't you tell us?" Asked Jane.

"We wanted to be sure before we told you, honey." Beth replied.

"And now you're sure?"

"Oh, yes!" Rio wrapped an arm around Beth and kissed her hair.

Marcus and Jane shouted for joy.

"Kenny, Danny, Emma. Mommy and Rio are in love." Shouted Jane to her brothers and sisters upstairs.

"No kidding." Shouted Kenny back. "We already knew that." Says Danny. Beth and Rio exploded with laughter.

"Apparently we weren't as discreet as we thought we were." Said Beth.

"No."

"Are you staying for dinner tonight?"

"Yeah." Rio leaned over and kissed Beth tenderly.

"Ew!" Marcus and Jane said, hiding their eyes.

"Go play while I finish cooking dinner." The two children complied. "So, are you ready to meet my sister and my best friend?"

"Yep. For you I just have to tell my sisters."

"What?"

"Yeah, sorry but I'd already told my mom, and Rhea understood it right away at Marcus' birthday party."

Beth hit him with a rag. "You're lucky I love you."

Rio wrapped his arms around Beth's back, he bent down and laid a kiss trail along her neck, her collarbone, her little dimple on her chin until he reached her lips, from which he stopped a few millimeters away. "I love you too." Then he plunged on her mouth for a passionate kiss.

The End!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading  
> English isn't my first language, if it has fault, don't hesitate to tell me. I use DeepL for helping me with the translation.  
> Kudos and comment makes smile!!


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